On Wednesday, February 28, 2013, OCUFA will be presenting a town hall discussion on austerity and higher education at Laurentian University. We invite all Sudbury-area students, staff, and faculty to join us for an evening of discussion and analysis. Speakers include: Brian MacLean: Professor, Laurentian University, Department of Economics John Closs: President, Sudbury District Labour […]
The free-fall in US state government support for universities is over. According to data collected by the Grapevine project at the Illinois State University Center of Education Policy, total state support in 2012-13 remains virtually the same as the previous year. That said, it is still 11 per cent lower than it was five years […]
On February 19, 2013, new Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne presented her first Speech from the Throne, outlining the priorities of her government. As expected, the speech contained a heavy focus on deficit reduction, economic growth, and employment. The speech signaled that the government will continue to pursue austerity policies, but reflected a softer approach to […]
Just about everyone agrees that Ontario needs strong universities to drive student success, economic growth, and social vitality. Too bad the Government of Ontario still hasn’t gotten the message. The Council of Finance Officers – Universities of Ontario (COFO) report for 2011-12 indicates that provincial operating funding to Ontario universities increased by two per cent […]
Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Southwestern Ontario. Presented at a news conference at the University of Western Ontario, the results indicate that residents of the region do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in the province. Key findings […]
Barry Smit, one of We Teach Ontario’s featured profs, has been named to the Order of Ontario . This honour recognizes Ontarians who have made exceptional contributions to “the arts, law, science, medicine, history, politics, philanthropy and the environment.” Here is Barry’s We Teach Ontario video: Students in Barry’s courses are connected to this research in powerful ways. His graduate students […]
On Wednesday, February 6, 2013, OCUFA will be co-presenting a town hall discussion on austerity and higher education at Western University. We invite all London-area students, staff, and faculty to join us for an evening of discussion and analysis. Speakers include: Jeff Tennant – Associate Professor, Department of French Studies, UWO Alison Hearn – Associate […]
It is not hard to imagine what will happen to student debt as governments scale back their funding for postsecondary education, causing institutions to increase tuition to cover the shortfall. The latest report on student debt in the United States shows that the average inflation-adjusted debt for first time bachelor’s degree graduates rose from $14,700 […]
Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Ontario’s Ottawa region. Presented at a news conference at the University of Ottawa, the results indicate that Eastern Ontarians do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in Ontario. Other key findings include: 72 […]
OCUFA’s latest campaign, We Teach Ontario , launched last week. It’s goal is simple: to explain the important connection between teaching and research at Ontario’s universities. In addition to the campaign website featuring video profiles of faculty members, there are many ways to connect with the campaign. You can: Share the videos Like We Teach Ontario on Facebook . Follow the campaign on […]
On Tuesday, January 29, 2013, OCUFA will be co-presenting a town hall discussion on austerity and higher education. We invite all Ottawa-area students, staff, and faculty to join us for an evening of discussion and analysis. Speakers include: David Macdonald – Senior Economist, The Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives Prof. Tyler Chamberlin – Assistant Professor, […]
Teaching and research are at the heart of Ontario’s universities and together produce extraordinary results for students and their communities. We Teach Ontario , a new OCUFA initiative, celebrates how professors use research to enrich their students’ learning and strengthen the province. “Ontario professors and academic librarians know how powerful the connection between teaching and research can be […]
Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Ontario’s 905 region. Presented at a news conference at McMaster University in Hamilton, the results indicate that residents of the 905 region do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in Ontario. Other key […]
From Jan. 10-11, 2013, OCUFA held its annual conference in Toronto. This year’s theme was “Academia in the Age of Austerity”, and the program was designed to explore the impacts the “austerity agenda” has had – and will continue to have – on higher education. The speakers included faculty members, higher education researchers, students, members […]
Ontarians do not want the government’s austerity agenda to compromise the quality of university education in the province, according to a new study released today by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). While most Ontarians think it is important to reduce the provincial deficit, over two-thirds oppose any cost-cutting measure that reduces the quality of education received by students. “The […]